The oil & gas sector faces a technical skills shortage, which will mean skills development rises to prominence in the sector, according to Mark Guest, managing director at international oil & gas job board OilCareers.com.

Guest’s comments follow publication of a report from Oilcareers.com and partner recruiter Air Energi, which shows that emerging technologies and increasingly technical offshore and deepwater projects in relatively remote corners of the world are demanding the very best workforces.

Therefore, organisations are being encouraged to co-operate in sharing knowledge, resources and best practice as the industry enters a new era of energy production.

Guest says: “The shortage of technical skills across the industry and the ability to train the next generation is vitally important. Global demand has resulted in the import and export of skilled personnel but where in the past this has led to contractors demanding increasingly higher fees, the candidate-driven market is forcing a cap on contractor rates as operators are favouring staff positions and building strategic alliances with specialist recruiters in order to implement project teams more quickly.

“Where we move now is into a period where the established oil and gas centres of the past 10-20 years are competing for skilled personnel with emerging markets where governments are embracing new industry. However, the challenge that remains is how to ensure that the next generation is trained and ready to take advantage of these opportunities.”